Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have bought some clothing online and are not satisfied with your purchase.

Write a letter to the company that you bought the clothing from. In your email:

• give details of the purchase
• describe the problem
• explain why you need a replacement urgently

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request that you kindly replace the dress I bought from your outlet.

Last week on Tuesday, I bought a three-piece dress from your retail shop, which was my immediate choice upon entering the shop. I tried the dress in the fitting room and didn't notice any fault in it.

However, once reaching home, my mother noticed that the shirt was torn apart near the collar. I tried to hide it under my hair, but it was too obvious to be hidden.

I need an urgent replacement because I have to attend my sister's wedding next week.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Iqra Fatima

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student covers all bullet points required by the prompt: details of the purchase are provided, the problem is described, and the need for an urgent replacement is explained. However, the letter contains a contradiction regarding how the item was bought. In the opening sentence, the student mentions buying the dress online, but in the body paragraph, they state they bought it from a retail shop and tried it in a fitting room. Furthermore, the response is severely under-length at 114 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. This significantly impacts task completion and development. Therefore, the response can only achieve Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows an appropriate format for a formal correspondence, beginning with the required salutation and ending with a sign-off. The paragraphs are logically arranged, moving smoothly from the purpose of the letter to the purchase details, the problem, and finally the reason for urgency. Cohesive devices are used simply but effectively, such as 'However' and 'once reaching home'. Paragraphing is handled well, with single-idea paragraphs making the text easy to follow. Although the overall progression is clear, the mechanical nature of some transitions keeps this criterion at a solid Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully using terms like 'request', 'retail shop', 'fitting room', and 'urgent replacement'. However, there are some awkward lexical choices and inaccuracies. For instance, stating 'bought a three-piece dress from your retail shop' clashes with the prompt requirement of buying clothing online. Additionally, the phrase 'torn apart' is slightly unnatural for a small collar defect, and 'immediate choice' is an awkward collocation. Despite these minor vocabulary issues and word-choice errors, communication is never impeded, meriting a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student employs a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing to request that you kindly replace...' and 'I tried the dress in the fitting room and didn't notice any fault in it.' Grammatical accuracy is generally good with correct punctuation and verb tenses, though there are minor issues like 'once reaching home' (which lacks a clear subject). The errors do not impede communication at all. The control over basic grammar is sound, but due to the limited variety of complex structures and the shortness of the text, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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